tz.theicarushunt-第13部分

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　I　blinked　in　surprise。　〃You　want　to　steal　fifty　cases　of　bine　machine　parts？〃　I　asked　incredulously。
　They　exchanged　furtively　startled　glances。　〃That's　not　what　you're　carrying；〃　Lumpy　Two　growled。
　I　shrugged。　〃That's　what　it　says　on　the　manifest　and　the　crates。　If　there's　anything　else　in　there；　the　Barnswell　Depot　is　going　to　have　a　lot　of　explaining　to　do。〃
　For　a　long　second　Lumpy　One　seemed　at　a　loss　for　words。　Then　his　crack　of　a　mouth　cracked　a　little　wider　in　what　I　decided　was　probably　his　version　of　a　sly　smile。　〃Clever；〃　he　said。　〃But　not　clever　enough。　You　are　Jordan　McKell；　you　came　here　from　Meima；　and　you　have　a　highly　valuable　cargo　aboard　your　ship。　We　want　it。〃
　〃Jordan　who？〃　I　asked。　〃Sorry；　boys；　but　you　missed　pletely　on　this　one。　My　name's　Ivo　Khachnin；　I'm　flying　a　ship　called　the　Singing　Buffalo；　and　I'm　carrying　fifty　cases　of　farm…equipment　parts。　Here…I　can　prove　it。〃　I　reached　a　hand　into　my　jacket…
　〃Stop！〃　Lumpy　One　barked；　leaping　forward　with　knife　held　ready。　〃I'll　get　it。〃
　〃Sure；　pal；〃　I　said；　managing　to　sound　both　startled　and　bewildered　by　his　violent　reaction。　In　point　of　fact；　I'd　been　counting　on　it。　〃Fine。　Help　yourself。〃
　He　approached　at　a　cautious　angle；　staying　out　of　his　partner's　line　of　fire；　which　at　least　proved　he　hadn't　picked　up　his　street…mugging　technique　solely　from　watching　Grade…B　star…thrillers。　Carefully；　he　set　the　point　of　his　wrist　knife　against　my　throat　and　reached　into　my　inside　jacket　pocket。　The　probing　fingers　located　my　ID　folder　and　pulled　it　out；　holding　it　cautiously　by　a　corner　as　if　expecting　it　to　be　booby…trapped。
　And　as　it　came　free　from　my　jacket；　the　bills　I'd　slipped　carelessly　inside　in　the　Starrm　booth　slid　out　and　fluttered　colorfully　to　the　ground。
　It　was　a　small　distraction；　but　it　was　all　I　needed。　As　their　eyes　flicked　involuntarily　to　the　floating　marks；　I　jerked　my　head　back　and　around；　moving　it　out　of　contact　with　Lumpy　One's　knife；　simultaneously　snapping　up　my　left　hand　to　catch　his　wrist　behind　the　knife　strap。　Pushing　his　arm　high；　I　ducked　under　it　and　spun　180　degrees　around；　ending　up　standing　behind　him　with　his　knife　arm　between　us；　bent　upward　toward　his　neck　at　what　I　very　much　hoped　was　a　painful　angle。
　〃Release　him！〃　Lumpy　Two　spat。　He　was　holding　my　plasmic　straight　out　at　me　now；　clutched　in　a　two…handed　grip；　his　whole　body　trembling。
　〃Make　me；〃　I　grunted；　looping　my　right　arm　around　Lumpy　One's　throat　and　pulling　him　hard　back　against　me。　If　I'd　guessed　wrong　about　this…if　he　did　not　in　fact　have　a　backup　weapon…I　was　now　officially　in　serious　trouble。
　But　he　did。　There　it　was；　a　hard　flat　object　pressing　against　my　abdomen　as　I　held　him　to　me。　Cranking　his　arm　up　another　couple　of　centimeters；　eliciting　a　gasped　phrase　that　was　probably　an　unfavorable　ment　on　my　parentage；　I　twisted　the　knife　tip　down　and　jabbed　it　into　the　fabric　of　his　tunic。　With　the　jammed　knife　preventing　him　from　lowering　his　arm；　and　the　limits　of　his　own　tendon　structure　preventing　him　from　raising　it；　the　limb　was　effectively　self…immobilized；　freeing　my　left　hand。　Reaching　up　the　back　of　his　tunic；　I　grabbed　his　weapon。
　Lumpy　One　shouted　something；　probably　a　warning；　to　his　panion。　But　by　then　it　was　already　too　late。　Almost　too　late；　anyway。　Lumpy　Two　got　off　a　shot　that　nearly　scorched　the　side　of　my　face　as　the　superheated　plasma　ball　made　a　near　miss；　and　fired　another　that　would　have　seared　my　right　arm　and　possibly　killed　Lumpy　One　outright　if　I　hadn't　bent　my　knees　suddenly；　driving　my　kneecaps　into　the　backs　of　Lumpy　One's　legs　and　dropping　us　both　halfway　to　the　ground。　The　jolt　of　the　sudden　movement　sent　the　embedded　knife　tip　tearing　a　couple　of　centimeters　farther　into　the　cloth　and；　judging　from　Lumpy　One's　gasp；　into　the　skin　beneath　it　as　well。
　And　then　I　had　his　weapon　out　and　pointed　over　his　shoulder。　The　gun　wasn't　remotely　like　anything　I　was　familiar　with；　but　I　didn't　have　time　to　do　anything　except　hope　like　hell　it　had　some　stopping　power　behind　it。　Flicking　a　thumb　key　that　I　hoped　was　the　safety；　I　squeezed　the　trigger。
　From　the　size　and　shape　of　the　weapon；　I　would　have　guessed　it　to　be　a　flechette　thrower　or　maybe　a　two…shot　scattergun。　It　wasn't。　My　hair　and　skin　tingled　with　electrical　discharge；　and　suddenly　Lumpy　Two　was　writhing　in　agony　in　the　middle　of　a　sheathing　of　blue…white　coronal　fire。
　The　electrical　firestorm　lasted　about　two　seconds。　From　the　looks　of　things；　Lumpy　Two　himself　didn't　last　nearly　that　long。
　Under　other　circumstances　I　would　probably　have　taken　a　few　seconds　to　gape　at　the　unexpected　display　of　firepower　I'd　just　unleashed。　But　I　wasn't　given　that　chance。　Mouthing　obvious　obscenities；　Lumpy　One　broke　out　of　my　grasp　with　a　sudden　lurch　and　spun　around　to　face　me；　the　sound　of　tearing　cloth　warning　that　he　was　half　a　second　away　from　freeing　his　knife　hand。　I　jumped　to　the　side；　swinging　the　alien　weapon　around；　and　as　he　got　his　arm　free　and　lunged　toward　me；　I　fired　again。
　With　the　same　result。　Three　seconds　later；　I　was　standing　alone　over　two　alien　bodies；　both　of　them　charred　literally　beyond　recognition。
　I　had　seen　a　lot　of　repulsive　things　in　my　years　of　knocking　around　the　Spiral；　but　this　one　definitely　took　the　cake。　Glancing　around　for　any　sign　of　witnesses…our　little　confrontation　seemed　to　have　gone　unnoticed…I　squatted　down　beside　the　corpses；　trying　to　breathe　through　my　mouth　as　I　forced　myself　to　sift　through　what　was　left　of　their　clothing。
　But　there　was　nothing。　No　ID　folders；　no　cash　wallets；　not　even　any　bank　cards。　Or　at　least；　I　amended　to　myself；　nothing　that　had　survived　the　attack。
　Lumpy　Two　was　wearing　a　duplicate　of　the　alien　handgun　in　a　half…melted　holster　at　the　small　of　his　back。　I　managed　to　pry　it　loose　and　pocketed　both　weapons　for　future　study。　I　retrieved　my　ID　folder　and　cash　from　the　ground…Lumpy　One　had　dropped　all　of　it　when　I　jumped　him…and　returned　my　now　scorched　but　still　functional…looking　plasmic　to　its　holster。　Taking　one　final　look　around；　I　headed　away　at　a　brisk　walk。
　*　*　*
　　
　IXIL　WAS　WAITING　for　me　at　the　Icarus's　entryway。　〃I　thought　you　were　going　to　be　here　in　thirty　minutes；〃　he　greeted　me　as　I　came　up。
　〃I　ran　into　a　little　trouble；〃　I　told　him。　〃Why　didn't　you　go　inside？〃
　〃I　thought　it　would　be　better　if　you　were　here　to　introduce　me；〃　he　said。　〃Besides；　the　entryway　appears　to　be　double…locked。〃
　〃Great；〃　I　scowled；　punching　the　new　code　I'd　set　up　after　leaving　Meima　into　the　keypad。　A　double…locked　entryway　in　port　either　meant　the　rest　of　the　crew　had　sacked　out　for　a　couple　of　hours'　sleep　or；　more　likely；　they'd　scattered　to　the　four　winds　the　minute　my　back　was　turned。
　〃Had　you　told　them　to　stay　with　the　ship？〃　Ixil　asked　as　the　hatch　swung　open。
　〃No；　I　was　too　busy　making　arrangements　to　get　Jones's　body　to　the　Port　Authority　and　worrying　about　what　I　was　going　to　say　to　Brother　John；〃　I　said。　〃Under　the　circumstances；　I　wish　I　had；　though。〃
　〃I　thought　you　smelled　a　bit　singed；〃　he　said。　〃Why　don't　we　go　inside　and　you　can　tell　me　all　about　it。〃
　〃Let's　talk　here　instead；〃　I　said；　sitting　down　inside　the　wraparound　where　I　could　look　out　into　the　docking　area。　〃If　people　with　guns　start　wandering　casually　toward　the　ship；　I'd　like　to　see　them　before　they　get　here。〃
　〃Reasonable；〃　Ixil　agreed；　sitting　down　a　couple　of　meters　away　from　me　where　he　could　cover　a　different　field　of　view　from　mine。　As　he　settled　down；　Pix　and　Pax　hopped　off　his　shoulders　and　skittered　down　the　ramp；　vanishing　in　opposite　directions　around　the　ship。　〃Now；〃　Ixil　said；　〃why　don't　you　start　at　the　beginning。〃
　So　I　started　at　the　beginning；　with　my　near　arrest　on　Meima；　and　gave　him　the　whole　story；　finishing　with　my　near　death　on　Xathru　half　an　hour　earlier。　The　two　ferrets　came　in　twice　while　I　was　talking；　dumping　their　scouting　information　on　Ixil　and　presumably　getting　new　instructions　before　scampering　off　again。　Given　that　Ixil　didn't　know　anyone　involved　in　any　of　this；　I　wondered　what　exactly　he　was　having　the　outriders　look　for。　Maybe　it　was　just　pure　Kalix　hunters'　instinct。
　〃I　seem　to　have　missed　all　the　excitement；〃　he　said　when　I　finished。　〃A　pity。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　worry　about　it　if　I　were　you；〃　I　warned。　〃It's　still　a　long　way　to　Earth。〃
　〃It　is　that；〃　he　conceded。　〃You　said　you　took　the　aliens'　weapons？〃
　I　passed　them　over　to　him。　He　looked　at　the　charred　one　for　a　moment；　his　nose　wrinkling　at　the　smell；　then　exchanged　it　for　the　other。　〃Interesting；〃　he　said；　studying　it　closely。　〃Coronal…discharge　weapons　aren't　exactly　new…I　presume　from　your　description　that　that's　what　these　are…but　I've　never　heard　of　such　pact　ones　before。〃
　〃I've　never　seen　one　of　any　size；〃　I　said。　〃I　can　tell　you　one　thing；　though：　These　things　really　mess　up　victim　identification。〃
　〃I　can　imagine；〃　he　said　soberly。　〃Face；　retinas；　and　prints；　plus　any　IDs　or　datadisks　the　victim　happens　to　be　carrying；　all　destroyed　or　badly　damaged。　A　convenient　little　side　effect　of　the　killing　shot。〃
　〃You　have　such　a　way　with　words；〃　I　growled。　〃I　just　hope　these　things　don't　catch　on　with　the　taverno　brawling　crowd。〃
　〃I　think　that　highly　unlikely；〃　Ixil　assured　me。　〃Aside　from　the　tremendous　manufacturing　costs　involved　and　the　relative　ease　of　detection；　corona　weapons　by　their　nature　have　a　very　short　range。　Three　meters；　I'd　guess；　four　at　the　outside。〃
　I　shivered。　In　an　unfortably　large　number　of　situations；　a　four…meter　range　would　be　perfectly　adequate　for　the　purpose。　〃Remind　me　to　practice　up　on　my　distance　shots。〃
　〃Good　idea。〃　He　dropped　the　guns　into　his　hip　pouch。　〃I'll　try　taking　one　apart　later　and　see　if　I　can　figure　out　where　it　was　made。　Right　now；　I'm　more　curious　about　this　deadly　accident　of　yours。〃
　〃I'll　admit　right　up　front　that　it's　got　me　stumped；〃　I　said；　feeling　disgusted　with　myself。　Strange　and　unpleasant　things　were　happening　all　around　me；　and　so　far　I　didn't　have　a　handle　on　any　of　it。　〃I　ran　a　diagnostic　across　the　whole　system；　and　I　can't　figure　how　the　grav　generator　kicked　in　when　it　did。〃
　〃You　are；　of　course；　hardly　an　expert　in　such　things；〃　Ixil　pointed　out；　not　unkindly。　〃There　are　three　main　locations　where　the　generator